


protector

by folkvangr (orphan_account)



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi | Fire Emblem: Binding Blade
Genre: Childhood Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Head Injury, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Love Confessions, M/M, Major Character Injury, Protectiveness, woy forever...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21856381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/folkvangr
Summary: they were close since before they could walk, and toddled about catching fireflies in the evening fields when they could, and whispered secrets to one another, and made promises. and one day, when wolt was appointed as roy’s retainer, all of it was suddenly pinched out, like a flickering candle flame. as if their life together was hidden under lock and key, and stowed away for never.what had changed?
Relationships: Roy & Wolt (Fire Emblem), Roy/Wolt (Fire Emblem)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 29





	protector

**Author's Note:**

> (wolt has scars on his wrists)

“you didn’t have to protect me like that.”

“you know...thasn’t—true, milord...”

roy’s eyes narrowed briefly in the darkness as he tucked the loose end of the bandage into the folds around wolt’s forehead. his retainer wasn’t strong enough to open his own eyes, and his speech was muddled; a pegasus knight had soared out of nowhere and had nearly lopped off roy’s head before wolt felled her. 

but the pegasus, in a death spasm, had lashed out with one of its hooves as it fell from the sky, and roy had heard a crack, and then a thud as wolt fell at his feet, dark blood pouring from a wound between his eyes.

he was wrapped up in a soft blanket in roy’s quarters now, away from the busy and brightly-lit healers’ tent. he didn’t know, though, or else he would have been on his feet and gone a long time ago. and the pit of roy’s stomach was boiling with frustration, because wolt would rather die than inconvenience his liege.

“you have to look after yourself, wolt. or else, who’s going to protect me if you aren’t here?” roy asked quietly, glancing down as he did so. he regretted saying that last part, as it made it sound as if that was wolt’s only reason for living. 

“...okay, milord,” wolt mumbled. roy picked at the old, grimy bandages on wolt’s right arm, then started to unwrap it when he found the loose end. suddenly, his retainer tensed up, and he jerked his arm quickly away.

“wolt?”

“sorry, my—milord—there’s no, no need to...i will tend to m’arms m’self,” wolt spluttered, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. something was wrong. roy took his wrist carefully.

“nonsense. you can’t open your eyes, wolt. let me at least change the bandages,” he offered, and wolt squirmed, trying to get out of roy’s grasp.

“please…milord, don’t…”

roy swatted wolt’s other hand away, and it fell limply on the covers, and curled into a trembling fist.

“it’s okay, wolt. i’ll be careful.”

“lord roy…”

“just relax.”

roy unwrapped the old bandages slowly, and then his blue eyes grew wide as his gaze rested upon an old, thin scar etched across wolt’s wrist.

he quickly removed the rest, and found even more. he grabbed wolt’s other arm and nearly ripped away the bandages there, and his heart stopped.

“...wolt…”

the young archer was crying, his tears glistening softly in the candlelight. roy’s fingers felt numb as they started to redress wolt’s upper arms in new bandages, and then they felt cold as they laced themselves together with wolt’s and squeezed his hands.

“why?” he croaked, his voice breaking. “why would you…?”

wolt shook his head weakly on his pillow, his lip trembling as he held back sobs. why didn’t roy know? why didn’t roy realize when something was wrong? why was roy so blind?

“...i felt i wasn’t good ‘nough,” wolt whispered, after a while. “i felt i wasn’t protecting you well ‘nough…”

“when have you ever not been enough, wolt?” roy asked, his own vision blurring with tears.

wolt swallowed, and he struggled to open his left eye just a slit. the little fragment of spring green that glittered there seemed to illuminate the whole tent. 

“d’you remember...a long time ago, we…” he paused, and roy softly thumbed the back of his hand to encourage him. “we—we got separated from th’others...in the woods?”

“i do,” roy nodded. he and wolt were only children, then. the forest had seemed like a whole different world, then.

“and...there was a—a thief, who rec’nized you, and tried to—” wolt scowled through his tears “—kill you, and i wasn’t fast enough…”

roy tipped his head to the side. “yes you were, wolt…! i’m still alive today, aren’t i?” wolt pried his right eye open, too, and his forest gaze fell unsurely upon his liege’s face.

“yes, but…” roy still held onto wolt’s hand when he reached up, and brushed his knuckle against the jagged scar on roy’s neck. the touch sent a shiver down his spine, but a warm one, not the kind he experienced in battle. “still, you got hurt.”

roy smiled for wolt to see. “i’d rather hurt just a little than die,” he told his retainer. wolt pressed his lips together, glancing away into the darkness. he was getting stronger, now. “and...i’d rather die than live without you, wolt.”

wolt looked back at his liege, his expression unreadable. roy gently squeezed his retainer’s hands, unsure if he wanted to let go of them. his own limbs were weary from battle, but he felt his heart tugging at him to stay awake, stay with wolt; pinpricks of fear, as if wolt would hurt himself again if he left.

“why?”

roy’s eyes widened a little at wolt’s question.

“what do you mean, ‘why?’”

“why would...why would you rather die than live?”

“‘without you,’” roy corrected. “i’d rather not exist at all than be in a world in which you aren’t with me.”

wolt stared at him through his tears.

“why?”

because roy loved him, that was why. they were close since before they could walk, and toddled about catching fireflies in the evening fields when they could, and whispered secrets to one another, and made promises. and one day, when wolt was appointed as roy’s retainer, all of it was suddenly pinched out, like a flickering candle flame. as if their life together was hidden under lock and key, and stowed away for never.

what had changed?

wolt was still cheerful, still eager to learn, and still roy’s closest confidante. but no longer was he his childhood friend—instead, he was his protector, his guardian. it was his title that had changed, and with it, his heart. he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifices, and kill himself for his failures.

“i…” roy looked down at his hands, which were clasping wolt’s tightly, as if his life depended on it. “i care about you, wolt. i want to protect you, just as you protect me.”

wolt stared at him some more. then, he closed his eyes, tugging just a little at roy’s fingers. roy shifted closer from where he sat on the edge of his cot and wrapped his arms around his retainer—his friend. wolt’s soft hair brushed against roy’s neck, and roy buried his face in the hollow of wolt’s shoulder.

“don’t hurt yourself like that again, okay, wolt?”

“okay…”

“i care about you, okay?”

“okay…”

“i love you, wolt...okay?”

“...okay.”


End file.
